Church of Virtue
The Virtuous Pantheon Eresh'Kigal '''is the primary Ancestor of the Pantheon of Virtue. The translation of 'Eresh'Kigal' is said to be a title meaning 'Life-giver of Virtue' in an ancient language. As such She is known as the Mother of Virtue, for those who gain Dark Incantations she is known as the Dark Mother. It is believed that Eresh'Kigal is an Ancestor of Law, due to the Tenets regarding behaviour of Her followers. (See 'The Seven Virtues' and 'The Seven Sins' below) Followers of Eresh'Kigal are bound by Loyalty and Honesty to one another, and the primary focus of the Church of Eresh'Kigal is to nurture and support all followers of the Virtuous Pantheon. Rewards bestowed by Eresh'Kigal are rare and usually comes in the form of High Magic to those that have proven themselves to Her. The secondary Ancestors of the Pantheon of Virtue are known collectively as 'The Daughters of Eresh'Kigal'. The eldest Daughter is '''Hecate. The translation of 'Hecate' is 'Fount of the Power'. As such She is known as the Mistress of Magic to all who follow Her. Hecate is an Ancestor of Magic, and Her followers organise the tuition required by magic users within the Church. She is unusual as She will also bestow Her gifts upon Mages. Followers of Hecate are bound to attempt to tutor any form of magic to followers who request it, including Necromancy. However, any member of the Church of Hecate that learns Necromancy themselves are required to leave the Church of Hecate immediately. Rewards bestowed by Hecate are usually magical in nature, and are very commonly magical knowledge that is not easy to come by. The middle Daughter is Mishkataal. The translation of 'Mishkataal' is 'Shield of the Virtuous Ones'. As such She is known as the Protector of Virtue within the faith. Mishkataal is an Ancestor of Fire, and followers are charged with the continued existence of the Church of Virtue, by protecting the current members and keeping the faith alive in case of attack by Heathens. Barbarian is the first rank within the Legion. Barbarians are encouraged to learn the Seven Sins and to find examples of these Sins amongst Heathens. Guard is the second rank within the Legion. Guards are given the specific task to follow and protect one of the priests of the faith. During this time they must learn the Seven Virtues and to find examples of these Virtues amongst the followers of the Virtuous ancestors. Soldier is the third rank within the Legion. Soldiers have a lot more freedom to act, and are often given the Purpose to aid any Barbarians to complete their training. Able to recognise Sin and Virtue, they are quite autonomous and are the main warriors of the faith of Virtue. Soldiers must attempt to eradicate all Sin from themselves and are under constant scrutiny from the rest of the Church. Rewards bestowed by Mishkataal are usually martial skills to aid in the protection of the faithful. The youngest Daughter is Rvynah. The translation is 'Wielder of the Light', and is the ancestor responsible for recruiting people into the Church of Virtue. Rvynah is an Ancestor of Knowledge, and followers are responsible for finding worshippers, using diplomacy to have the faith allowed in other lands to gain followers there and to ensuring that those with power within the Church hierarchy are following the tenets they should be. Rewards granted by Rvynah are usually unique, and serve a Purpose that will directly benefit the Virtuous Pantheon for a specific goal. There are other individual ancestors within the Pantheon of Virtue. These are classed as 'saints' until such time as their followers number sufficiently to warrant being granted full church status. The minor ancestors of the Pantheon at present are: Cyanoth, the Duke of Grace This minor ancestor is beholden to Hecate, and followers of the Cabal of Cyanoth come from within the ranks of Hecate's followers. People wishing to follow Cyanoth are usually mages, and Hecate uses these people to organises the training of demonology within Her church. As such, the creation or summoning of any demonic beings are carried out by the Cabal. The cabal of Virtuous warlocks are also based here, where Hecate can oversee their tuition and aid their advancement. Cyanoth is an ancestor of Fate, and watching the tides of Fate ebb and flow for the Church is their main responsibility. Rewards from Cyanoth are demonic in nature or to do with Warlockery. Olric, the Blood Knight This minor ancestor is beholden to Mishkataal. The followers of Olric are part of the Paladin order, although it is not necessary to become a Paladin in order to join the Order of Olric. Soldiers that have fully proved to the Legion that they have eradicated their own Sin are asked to Squire themselves off to the Blood Knights of this Order. Here the Knights ensure that the Squires fully encourage their Virtues until they are a shining example of the faith. At such time as their training is finished, they are granted the title of Blood Knight. Blood Knights have authority everywhere within the Pantheon of Virtue. Naryn, the Contract Merchant This minor ancestor is beholden to Rvynah. The followers of the Board of Naryn are in charge of all commerce and trade between the Church followers and the outside. As Avarice is one of the Sins it is not looked on favourably within the Church of Virtue to making a profit. However, the Church often needs funds to finance some of it's Purposes, and this is where Naryn's followers come in. They are also in charge of all the manufacturing that members of the faith perform, be it alchemy, blacksmithing or writing. They are also the ones called in whenever their is a contract to be written between non-Church followers and the Church. Rewards of Naryn are usually items that will aid the individual in completing their Purposes. Naryn is an ancestor of Fortune. 'Kal '- Beholden to Mishkataal and Hecate - specialise in tutoring theology and creating ancestrals. The Seven Sins are: Anger, Avarice, Cowardice, Envy, Greed, Pride and Sloth Anger - When a person lets their emotions dictate their actions and words, sometimes to the detriment of the Purpose they are trying to achieve. Avarice - a love of money and wealth for no specific Purpose. Money must be spent to have value, and gold in a bank account is merely metal. Cowardice - not standing up for your beliefs is considered a Sin. The Seven Virtues are: Purpose, Dedication, Strength, Courage, Honesty, Loyalty and Grace